Continuous process for producing explosives.



EJMTED sra'rns Parana curios.

.FRITZ BASCHIG, OF LUDWiGSHAFEN-ON-THE-BHINE, GERMANY.

CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR PRODUCING EXPLOSIVES.

N0 Drawing.

Filtfilltfid Mar. 18, 1913..

of a substantially homogeneous nature fronr a mixture of Water soluble ingredients such as those described in my prior applications, Serial Nos. 690,183 and 690,184 which is both rapid in operation and by means of which the dangers attending such production are minimized; and it comprises a process of .evaporating a solution, containing such a mixture of water soluble ingredients by running such solution in a stream on to a heated moving surface, such as a steam heated, revolving cylinder, whereby almost instantaneous evaporation is etfected, after which the evaporated mass is scraped from the heated surface, all as more fully hereinafter set forth and as claimed.

In the production of explosives from a mixture of ingredients it is necessary that an intermixture as nearly homogeneous as possible be obtained if the explosive is to be reliable, and complete combustion thereofis to be effected. With the old dry-mixture process it frequently happens that the intermixture is imperfect and that the explosive as a result incompletely combusts, giving 0E smoke and leaving unburned par ticles. Such explosives are unreliable and erratic in operation, and their production is attended with danger. Again when so lutions are evaporated in order to remove the solvent, continual stirring is required to prevent fractional crystallization or separa tion of the dissolved ingredients. By the process of the present invention, however, the dangers and disadvantages of the old dry mixture process and the old methods of evaporation are minimized, and from a solution containing a plurality of'ingredients an explosive is obtained in. a substantially homogeneous condition.

The ingredients used in the novel process of the present invention may be the waste sulfite constituents (lignin snlfonic acids, etc.) and oxygen carriers described in my a J: v prior .applipation, S. N. 690,183, or such aromaticisulfonic acids and oxygen carriers spondingly lower temperature.

as described in my prior application, S. N. 690,184. The sullite waste liquors may be used in their diluted form, or may be eon centrated or evaporated before intermixture or they may be otherwise treated as de scribed in such prior application to give the solution to be evaporated and containing the sulfite Waste constituents together with oxygen carriers. In these solutions homogeneous intermixture is possible and it is from these homogenous mixtures that the explosives according to the present invention are produced. Aromatic sulfonic acids such as those described in my aforementioned application can also be used according to the process of the present invention, or other aromatic sulfonic acids than those there mentioned. The solutions of the sulfonic acids and oxygen carriers can be produced as more fully described in said prior application to give a solution containing the ingredients from which the explosive is to be obtainedby evaporation.

The evaporation of the solutions containing the water soluble ingredients accord ing to the present invention is effected by running such solution in a thin regulated stream onto a heated moving surface. Such, a surface may be a rotating disk or a rotating cylinder internally heated as by steam to a ten'iperature above 100 C. Or such surface may be placed in a vacuum chamber and the evaporation carried out at a corre- The thin stream as itv runs on to the moving surface is evaporated almost instantaneously. and without danger, and the evaporated product is of a substantially homogeneous nature.

From the heated surface the evaporated ribhon-like mass is scraped elf the roller or disk or other heated surface by scrapers or other appliances. Where iron or steel surfaces are used the scrapers may advantageously be of bronze or of some other such softer metal.

The present invention which is of general ously, and from the cylinder the evaporated ribbon like mass is removed by scrapers 111 a continuous manner, and is the desired explosive. a

Example 2: 87 parts of ammonlum n1 trate and 14 parts of cresol sulfonate of sodium are dissolved and evaporated by .running the solution in a thin stream onto a rotating hollow disk heated internally by steam to a few degrees above 100 C. The evaporated mass is removed as already described and is the desired explosive.

.Example 3: 69 parts of sodium nitrate and 3l parts of cresol sulfonate of sodium are dissolved in watn' and evaporated as above described. 7 is v r r Example 4: 70 parts of sodium nitrate and 30 parts of xylenol sulfonate of sodium are treated as above described.

- Other aromatic sulfonic acids than those mentioned can be used in a similar manner,

6. g. the mono-sulfonic acids of phenol, to

luol, cumol, .cresol, etc, or the disulfonic acids of the above mentioned or other aromatic bodies; or mixtures of two or more of the mono-, or di-or other sulfonic acids.

It is usually more advantageous to use such acids in the form of their water soluble salts. Other oxygen carriers canbe used 6. g.sodium, potassium or ammonium nitrate, chlorates, perchlorates, etc.

Example 5: 85 parts of nitrate of ammonia are dissolved in waste sulfite liquors containing 15 arts of dry wood. fiber constituents. The liquor is run onto steam heated rollers as already described. T e sulfite liquors can be partly evaporated efore intermixture.

Example 6: 60v parts of nitrate of ammonia and 30 parts of sulfate of sodium are dissolved in waste sulfite liquors containing 10 parts of wood fiber constituents and evaporated as already described. The sodium sulfate acts as a diluent, but even as so diluted reliable .explosives are obtainable.

Instead of the ammonium nitrate of the foregoing examples, corresponding amounts of sodium or potassium nitrate, or of other oxygen carrier or carriers can be used. Sul fite waste made from other cellulosic material than wood can be similarly employed.

By the use of a vacuum chamber SL111.-

rounding the heating surfaces on which evaporation takes place it is possible to carry out the evaporation at correspond-- ingly lower temperatures.

The explosives made by the novel evaporation process of the present invention 'con tain the various'ingredients in intimate intermixture and as a result their action is. and substantially complete comdependable, bustion, with a minimum or total absence of smoke, takes place. The process is moreover one in which the danger to the operator is minimized. i

from a plurality of ing solution in the water, one of the ingredients may be dissolved in a solution of the other; or a solution of one ingredient may be used to thoroughly moisten or partly dissolve the other, and the resulting solution or partial solution evaporated according to the novel process of the presentinvention.

The products resulting from the foregoing "examples can be used as explosives alone, or can be compounded with other explosive ingredients or with modifying or water.- proofing ingredients, and can be formed or molded into a desired form.

Variations and modifications can be made in the processes abovedescribed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the accompanying claims.

. I claim z- 1. The process of producing explosives water soluble ingredidissolving such ingresubjecting the resultform of a regulated stream to a temperature suflicient to effect substantially instantaneous evaporation.

2. The process of producing explosives from a plurality of water soluble ingredients which comprises dissolving such ingredients in Water and. subjecting the resulting solution in the form of a thin stream to substantially instantaneous evaporation upon a heated surface.

3.- -The process of producing explosives from a plurality of water soluble ingredients which comprises dissolving such ingredients in water and subjecting the resulting solution in the form of a thin stream to temperature above 100 C. to eflect evapora-' tion thereof.

4. The process of producing explosives from a plurality of water soluble ingredients which comprises dissolving such ingredients water and allowing the resulting solution in the form of a regulated stream to flow on to a continuously moving heated surface.

5. The process of producing explosives from a plurality of water soluble ingredients which comprises dissolving such ingreclients in water and allowing the resulting solution in the form of a regulated stream to flow on to a continuously moving heated surface heated by steam to above 100 C.

The process of producing explosives from organic sulfonic acid's and oxygen car-- riers which comprises dissolving such ingredients in water and subjecting the resulting solution in the form of a regulated stream to a temperature suflicient to effect substanents which comprises dleHtS in water and "tially instantaneous evaporation:

solution in the form of a thin stream to substantially instantaneous evaporation upon a heated surface. I

8. The process of producing explosives from organic sulfonic acids and oxygen carriers which comprises dissolving such ingredients in water and subjecting the resulting solution in the form of a thin stream to a temperature above 100 C.

9. T he process of producing explosives from organic sulfonic acids and oxygen carriers which comprises dissolving such ingredients in water and allowing the resulting solution in the form of a regulated stream to flow on to a continuously moving heated surface.

10. The process of producing explosives from organic sulfonic acids and oxygen carriers which comprises dissolving such ingre-' dients in Water and allowing the resulting solution in the form of a regulated stream to flow on to a continuously moving heated surface heated by steam to above 100 C.

11. The process of producing explosives from aromatic sulfonic acids and oxygen carriers which comprises dissolving such ingredients in water and subjecting the resulting solution in the form of a regulated stream to a temperature sufi'icient to efiect substantially instantaneous evaporation.

12. The process of producing explosives from aromatic sulfonic acids and oxygen carriers which comprises dissolving such ingredients in water and subjecting the resulting solution in the form of a thin stream to substantially instantaneous evaporation upon a heated surface.

13. The process of producing explosives from aromatic sulfonic acids and oxygen carriers which comprises dissolving such ingredients in Water and subjecting the resulting solution in the form of a thin stream to a temperature above 100 C.

-14. The process of producing explosives from aromatic sulfonic acids and oxygen carriers which comprises dissolving such ingredients in water and allowing the resulting solution in the form of a regulated stream to flow on to a continuously moving heated surface.

15. The process of producing explosives from aromatic sulfonic acids and oxygen carriers which comprises dissolvin such ingredients in water and allowing t e resulting solution in the form of a regulated stream to flow on to a continuously moving heated surface heated by steam to above 100 C. y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FRITZ RASOHIG.

Witnesses:

S. H. SHANK, JOSEPH PFEIFFER. 

